The Rules of the Game

Audience Reviews

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George R Sep 24, 2018 A mostly average film, with average acting and plot (3 stars), plus half a star for its social satire (3.5 stars), minus half a star for its extended bunny/pheasant massacre (3 stars, and good lord, I don't care if this is commentary on man's cruelty, it's awful). At its best, director Jean Renoir gives us brilliant criticism of just how vapid and morally bereft the bourgeoisie of his day were, putting the mirror up so close to French society that audiences were outraged and booing in the cinema. While his characters are jovial enough in various social gatherings, they have no scruples, sincerity, or intellectual depth, and spouses cheat on one another not so much out of real passion or love for someone else, but out of ennui. "Sincere people are such bores," one says, reflecting a lack of values. They calmly slaughter bunnies that have been driven towards them, considering it a "hunt", one laughs as he relates the story of a man who died in a self-inflicted gun accident, and later there is a remarkable lack of real concern or empathy when someone else is hurt (being vague on purpose). They goof around sophomorically in front of servants, who clearly don't respect them, but the servants themselves also have their own infidelities. In 'The Rules of the Game', there are very few real rules, just the entitlement to make up the rules that comes with wealth. The characters are maddeningly unlikeable, and of course, that's the point. Renoir does some interesting work with the camera in the film, putting it in motion almost as if it's a character or we're voyeurs into these scenes as the audience, but I think more is made of this than it should be. Similarly, I don't put much in the fact that the film was made in 1939 and released less than a year before Germany invaded France; to me that seems more coincidence than Renoir's statement that it is a "war film and yet there is no reference to the war." As the action picks up in the second half, with guests scurrying around the chateau either to arrange for or break up trysts, it feels very much like a Hollywood screwball comedy from the period, with farcical elements and attempts at humor which aren't all that funny (e.g. the bear suit). There's enough here to make the film watchable, but it's hard to understand how it ended up so highly regarded. See more

Rey G Oct 2, 2017 The Rules of the Game is a critics' darling, but I wonder how it fares with general audiences. It is a skewering of upper-crust French mores (and those of the working classes who try to emulate them). One could probably make comparisons to today's "liberated"/lost society. This film's troubled history shows as much as the French mock/look down their noses at other societies, they are unable to laugh at themselves. Critics recommend multiple viewings of this movie, and they're probably right. There's a lot going on, and a lot to take in. After my first viewing, I found myself slowly immersed in the drama, but also a bit overwhelmed by the size of the cast and all the romantic intrigue. Like Citizen Kane, it is a great film, remarkable for its vision and influence, but might leave some wondering what was the big deal. See more

George M Aug 14, 2017 People keep saying this movie got savage reception when it opened, but I felt the movie is the total opposite of savage. People float around a country estate, fox-hunting and talking ribaldly (is that a word?) while I struggle to relate to the characters, because usually I can totally relate to French aristocrats from the thirties. Then it ends. What really shows that Renoir was just going through the motions is that though there aren't any special effects (I know, they didn't have those back then) there aren't even any places where you can tell he would put some if they had the technology. I found that disappointing. See more

Anakin S May 25, 2017 This is a masterpiece - elaborately demonstrating how to block a scene and edit in accordance with style, and effortlessly explaining the rules and manufacturing of the cinematic medium. See more

Abraham L Mar 24, 2017 Took a while for it to get interesting. There's a hunting scene where they're shooting rabbits and pheasants and it looks very realistic. I know PETA would lose it if they saw it but it was so interesting to watch. How they would make the animals scurry so that the people with the guns could shoot them. Quite the funny movie. Especially when everything starts get out of control during the party. It's very smartly written this movie. I just wish I knew French. This way I'd enjoy it more and not have to be reading the damn subtitles. The character sand actors we're very charming and charismatic and it was an entertaining to watch how the story unfolded. Overall, great comedy flick. See more

Kylo G Nov 25, 2016 Jean Renoir is doing all sorts of madness here and the film is a combination of absurdity and powerful thematic material on the French Upper Class especially in a critical period of history. See more

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The Rules of the Game

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